Soldier-shooting suspect surrenders to deputies

San Bernardino resident Ruben Jurado, 19, is accused of shooting 22-year-old soldier Christopher Sullivan at a house in San Bernardino on Friday, Dec. 23, 2011.

December 26, 2011 12:00:00 AM PST

By Leticia Juarez and Elex Michaelson

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. --

Police on Monday released a picture of the man suspected of shooting a local soldier at his own homecoming party in San Bernardino.

The photo is a previous mug shot of San Bernardino resident Ruben Jurado, who is accused of shooting 22-year-old Christopher Sullivan at a house in the 2800 block of Garner Avenue on Friday night.

Ruben Jurado surrendered to authorities at the Chino Hills Sheriff's Station on Monday, according to his attorney, Michael Holmes.

Jurado surrendered at about 2 p.m. He was then transferred to the custody of the San Bernardino Police Department.

"I think he was feeling guilty and I think the heat was getting on him by all of you guys making these reports," the victim's mother, Suzanne Sullivan, told Eyewitness News.

Witnesses said Sullivan's younger brother was arguing with another man. When Sullivan stepped in to help, the suspect opened fire. The gunman fled the home on foot before police arrived.

Sullivan was shot twice, once to his neck. Doctors say he is partially paralyzed and remains in serious condition.

"He will never do the things he wanted to do," Suzanne Sullivan said. "He wanted to have kids. He wanted to have a wife."

The Sullivan family said Jurado showed up to the party uninvited. They said he was an acquaintance of the victim.

Jurado was allegedly angered when they joked about his favorite team, the Green Bay Packers, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs that day.

"That set him off," Suzanne Sullivan said.

That's when Christopher Sullivan stepped in to protect his brother, family members said.

Jurado's attorney said his client was merely trying to defend himself.

"My client sustained extensive amounts of injuries prior to the alleged shooting, had some facial as well as some injuries to his ribs and backs, where he'd been kicked and punched by numerous people," Holmes said.

"He's lying," said Brandon Sullivan, the victim's brother. "If it was self defense, why would he bring a gun? He shot my brother."

Sullivan had arrived home on Thursday on leave for the holidays from Fort Campbell in Kentucky. He served one tour of duty in Afghanistan and received a purple heart after being wounded in a suicide bomb attack last December, according to his mother.

"One thing you're never going to take away is his soul, you're never going to take away his heart and you're never going to take away his mind," Sullivan's mother said.

Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the San Bernardino Police Department at (909) 384-5619.